Mentoring is the answer MIKE HOWELL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS & ADRIAN BLADES, CAREERS EDUCATOR
Have you ever had a burning question about your career path or what to do next but are unsure who to ask? Perhaps you’re looking to change tertiary courses or career pathways, or searching for employment opportunities. ‘Mentoring’ is the answer.. The word ‘mentoring’ may seem daunting to some – they might fear it means a long-term, time intensive commitment, or worry about feeling inadequate in front of an experienced mentor. In reality, mentoring can be a much more flexible and spontaneous experience.
to test out, or ask for situation based advice: ‘what would you do if you were in my position?’ If you’re unsure where to begin, our Alumni office can help facilitate your conversations or flash mentoring.
For others, it might be a series of connections with a few different people whose experience you value.
For current students: The success of these mentoring relationships to date shows the open willingness of our College community to contribute and provide opportunities to our Alumni. It is heartening to note that this invaluable support by our Alumni is extended to current students, also.
‘Finding a mentor’ isn’t just of benefit to younger Old Collegians – we can all benefit from a mentor or new professional connection, even if we graduated 30 years ago!
“I often call upon Old Collegians to provide professional support to a fellow alumnus or current student, and the answer I receive is always ‘yes”’, says Adrian Blades, TGC Careers Educator.
We can also be both mentor and mentee at any time as everyone has something to offer in terms of their life story.
“For example: Over the past six years, our Old Collegians have run a Preparation Session to assist current students with an interest in studying Medicine.
For some, ‘mentoring’ can be as simple as a brief, 10-minute conversation with another person in the right industry.
For our Alumni: Alumni mentoring through The Geelong College is facilitated by our online Alumni platform, TGC Connect. TGC Connect has over 3000 alumni registered. As Old Collegians, you can use it as a tool kit to suit your needs. It can be as simple as setting the search filters to find someone in your chosen field. Then, simply ask a question to get started. You might be wondering about next steps to career progression, have an idea you’d like
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“Even the Careers Expo is mostly made up of Old Collegians and current parents sharing their professional experiences. “COVID-19 has sadly necessitated a few years’ hiatus, but we hope this event will be run again in May 2023 with similar levels of community support,” he said. This community support goes both ways, also, with Alumni able to access
support from the College Careers Department throughout their careers. As a College, we are proud of the contributions our Alumni community have made to date, and will continue to work together to develop and grow these important connections. Career development is a lifelong journey, and the support of The Geelong College doesn’t end at graduation. Your College community is part of your life, and we look forward to celebrating your career success along the way. If you would like to find out more, please email: communityrelations@tgc.vic.edu.au
Learn more about mentoring through TGC Connect Scan the QR Code to sign up or vist the platform
